2018 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[SOLR]

Better than Ekblad for sure. I liked Ekblad, big kid with a big shot from the blueline and good head for the game but Dahlin's mobility, hands and creativity are well above. He has the potential to be the top offensive player from the blueline as well as being a top defender.

Just a few highlights. Just tell yourself those plays happened in the SHL, Sweden's top pro league, and that the kid is 16 years old.

Better than Ekblad, potentially, not by much however. Ekblad was quite an exceptional player and hes rapidly becoming great in the NHL.

I mean Dahlin can pull off Orr-like moves all he wants from the SHL but in North America it has become nearly impossible to do given the players of today. A bigger Karlsson. A franchise D right there.

 

[Lebowski]

Better than Ekblad, potentially, not by much however. Ekblad was quite an exceptional player and hes rapidly becoming great in the NHL.

I mean Dahlin can pull off Orr-like moves all he wants from the SHL but in North America it has become nearly impossible to do given the players of today. A bigger Karlsson. A franchise D right there.

Nothing exceptional about Ekblad's game... He plays a mature game at a very young age, but his upside seems fairly limited to me. I don't see franchise #1D talent in Ekblad. Solid top pairing guy, probably. He's also someone that trended down since his rookie season, even more after Campbell left Florida.

Among young defensemen, I'd have guys like Jones and Werenski far ahead. Provorov, Hanifin and others could leapfrog as soon as next year too.

 

[Mathletic]

Better than Ekblad, potentially, not by much however. Ekblad was quite an exceptional player and hes rapidly becoming great in the NHL.

I mean Dahlin can pull off Orr-like moves all he wants from the SHL but in North America it has become nearly impossible to do given the players of today. A bigger Karlsson. A franchise D right there.

I disagree here. I like Ekblad, no doubt about that. I think, at his best, he's a Shea Weber kinda guy. However, I think, Dahlin has the potential to be Karlsson-like offensively and much more solid than EK defensively. That makes for one heck of a defenseman IMO. His coaches, in Frölunda, have reported only great comments about his work ethid defensively, and I trust that staff they have out there. The pontetial is very high with this kid.

 

[le_sean]

I'd equate Dahlin/Svechnikov to Hedman/Tavares.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I'd equate Dahlin/Svechnikov to Hedman/Tavares.

That would be pretty fair I think, not generational level by not that far behind that. They both have easy top line/pairing potential. the kinds of prospects you can build around.

 

[Stive Morgan]

I'd equate Dahlin/Svechnikov to Hedman/Tavares.

Good comparison. I agree.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Zadina got picked by Halifax in the import draft,I don't know what his intentions are but he'd be a hell of an add. Svenchnikov was picked by Barrie, there's a decent chance he'll go I think.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Nothing exceptional about Ekblad's game... He plays a mature game at a very young age, but his upside seems fairly limited to me. I don't see franchise #1D talent in Ekblad. Solid top pairing guy, probably. He's also someone that trended down since his rookie season, even more after Campbell left Florida.

Among young defensemen, I'd have guys like Jones and Werenski far ahead. Provorov, Hanifin and others could leapfrog as soon as next year too.

Yeah this is how I see Ekblad, too. He was a beast as a kid and physically matured while also playing a similar game and didn't have much higher upside after that imo. He was drafted and brought in as a top-4 defenseman immediately and then progressed into a top-pairing guy. He can still progress a bit more, but I think he's pretty close to his ceiling imo.

Dahlin, on the other hand, is a franchise defenseman imo. A guy you can build around. I don't know if he's going to be able to produce like Karlsson at the NHL level once he matures a bit more, but I think he'll be solid defensively and still put up 65-75 points in his prime unless scoring goes back up to post-lockout levels. I'm really high on Dahlin and would have loved a shot to draft him but the Habs won't be in that position.

At least this is a deeper draft than 2017, so I'm actually looking forward to following this one.

 

[HockeyAddict]

If the Habs can't resign Markov and Radulov, I'm starting to think it might be best not to sign mediocre players to multi-year anchor contracts (Hanzal, Alzner etc.) and accept a one year surgical tank. 2018 draft is supposed to be a very good draft class and the Habs could land an excellent C or D prospect (Kotkaniemi, Veleno, Tkachuk, J. MacIssac). It could setup the team with a very good future core when you consider the youth already in the organisation (Galchenyuk, Drouin, Lehkonen, Poehling, Ikonen, Brook, Juulsen, Mete, Hudon, Danault).

 

[Mathletic]

Zadina got picked by Halifax in the import draft,I don't know what his intentions are but he'd be a hell of an add. Svenchnikov was picked by Barrie, there's a decent chance he'll go I think.

Svechnikov is reporting for sure. He announced it a while ago he'd joing the CHL for the 2017-2018 season. He said he chose to go to the USHL for his 16 year old season because he felt he wasn't ready for the CHL.

The 2 most interesting picks, I think, are Zadina and Khovanov. Both were selected very high, so there may be something there. That would make for a solid Q draft class ... to make up for this year's.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Svechnikov to Barrie. Milos Roman will report to the Vancouver Giants. Zadina to the Mooseheads potentially.

...FINE I'll get the CHL package thingy.

 

[Malmo]

So this is the year of the Mathias Emilio Pettersen draft. I remember the hype around him when his youtube video was out. A guy I'm keeping an eye on is Philipp Kurashev. I've been impressed by him the few times I've seen him.

 

[SOLR]

Nothing exceptional about Ekblad's game... He plays a mature game at a very young age, but his upside seems fairly limited to me. I don't see franchise #1D talent in Ekblad. Solid top pairing guy, probably. He's also someone that trended down since his rookie season, even more after Campbell left Florida.

Among young defensemen, I'd have guys like Jones and Werenski far ahead. Provorov, Hanifin and others could leapfrog as soon as next year too.

Ekblad is 21, Jones might be slightly more 2 way, but the jury is still very much out there. We haven't seen much from Werenski-Provorov-Hanifin: just speculation at this point.

I disagree here. I like Ekblad, no doubt about that. I think, at his best, he's a Shea Weber kinda guy. However, I think, Dahlin has the potential to be Karlsson-like offensively and much more solid than EK defensively. That makes for one heck of a defenseman IMO. His coaches, in Frölunda, have reported only great comments about his work ethid defensively, and I trust that staff they have out there. The pontetial is very high with this kid.

I guess defensively we can't agree. I don't see Dahlin as a Lidstrom (yet), but much more as a Karlsson (thus far). A young Shea Weber was quite superior to Karlsson for a long time defensively and Ekblad is a better skater than Shea. I think we are looking at Pronger for Ekblad a guy that can be 1st pairing guy + (an elite or franchise player depending on the year), but not quite a full and constant offensive presence. In fact Dahlin might be S.Neids to Pronger.

Needless to say, I take Swedish comments with 6 grains of salts as they often travel in the superlatives to say the least.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Svechnikov is reporting for sure. He announced it a while ago he'd joing the CHL for the 2017-2018 season. He said he chose to go to the USHL for his 16 year old season because he felt he wasn't ready for the CHL.

The 2 most interesting picks, I think, are Zadina and Khovanov. Both were selected very high, so there may be something there. That would make for a solid Q draft class ... to make up for this year's.

You're right about Svechnikov, I actually read the tweet where he said all that but I somehow completely forgot about it. I'm getting old .

 

[le_sean]

Svechnikov to Barrie. Milos Roman will report to the Vancouver Giants. Zadina to the Mooseheads potentially.

...FINE I'll get the CHL package thingy.

Really wish the Habs drafted Lipanov instead of Walford. They will be an exciting duo to watch in Barrie.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Really wish the Habs drafted Lipanov instead of Walford. They will be an exciting duo to watch in Barrie.

I wasn't big on Lipanov, but I can't say that I wouldn't rather have him instead of Walford.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I don't know, I've heard a lot of really promising stuff about Walford since the draft, from people who see a lot more of the dub than I do. I'm willing to keep an open mind till I get to see him play. It's beside the point now in any case.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I don't know, I've heard a lot of really promising stuff about Walford since the draft, from people who see a lot more of the dub than I do. I'm willing to keep an open mind till I get to see him play. It's beside the point now in any case.

He seems alright. I certainly haven't made up my mind about him.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Zadina in Halifax, yesss

 

[NotProkofievian]

Zadina in Halifax, yesss

Is he reporting?

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Is he reporting?

Apparently he is !

 

[Mathletic]

Apparently he is !

great news!

Hopefully that convinces Newhook and Barron to join as well.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Might as well give Halifax the Q championship right now, save everybody the trouble.

 

[Mathletic]

Might as well give Halifax the Q championship right now, save everybody the trouble.

They would have one hell of a team to follow next year, if ever Hischier comes back, Zadina comes over and Newhook+Barron join. Add that to McIsaac, Gravel and Groulx for the 2018 draft and Parent for the 2019 draft. Solid group of prospects.

... and perhaps, who knows, maybe Jake Wise changes his mind too.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Might as well give Halifax the Q championship right now, save everybody the trouble.

Mooseheads are going to be loaded with 16, 17, & 18 year olds. They will be contenders for 2 or 3 more years. They also still have all of their future picks I believe too. Plus others

Also might host the Memorial Cup in 2019

They would have one hell of a team to follow next year, if ever Hischier comes back, Zadina comes over and Newhook+Barron join. Add that to McIsaac, Gravel and Groulx for the 2018 draft and Parent for the 2019 draft. Solid group of prospects.

... and perhaps, who knows, maybe Jake Wise changes his mind too.

Newhook and Wise reporting is a dream at this point. Would be nice though!